Card holder

ABSTRACT

A card holder for supporting or retaining a card such as a greeting card is provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the card holder has two holding portions each for accommodating a portion of a card. In another exemplary embodiment, the card holder has a first leg extending from a second leg. The card holder is mounted over a card having two legs such that the card first leg is adjacent to the card holder first leg and the card second leg is adjacent to the card holder second leg. The card holders of the present invention may also accommodate signs or ornaments.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is based upon and claims priority on U.S.Provisional Application Serial No. 60/381,648 filed on May 17, 2002, thecontents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present invention generally relates to a device for holdingan article that is to be displayed on a surface, and more particularly,to a card holder for holding a card in an upright position.

[0003] Articles, such as greeting cards, are generally displayed onsurfaces, for example, desks or countertops, for their aesthetics andsentimental value. Cards, such as greeting cards, are commonly supportedon a surface by opening the faces of the card to form a pair of “legs”that rest on the surface to hold the card upright. The legs are retainedin a substantially V-shaped relation by frictional forces between thesurface and the thin edges of the card faces. Since the frictionalsurface area between the sides of the card faces and the surface isminimal, the greeting cards often open or fall flat on the surface as aresult of gravitational forces, or sudden movement of the supportingsurface.

[0004] Thus, there is a need for a simple and cost effective device forpreventing these articles from opening or falling flat on theirsupporting surfaces while being displayed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is a device for holding an articledisplayed on a supporting surface. Specifically, in an exemplaryembodiment, a card holder is provided which supports a greeting card. Inone exemplary embodiment, the card holder is a unitary member comprisingtwo substantially channel shaped holding portions interconnected by atransverse portion. The holding portions form channels for acorresponding leg of the greeting card such that the holder retains thegreeting card in an open standing position.

[0006] In another exemplary embodiment the card holder comprises a firstleg extending from a second leg. A card having a first leg extendingfrom a second leg is positioned within the card holder, i.e., the cardholder is positioned over such card, such that the card holder first legis adjacent the card first leg and the card holder second leg isadjacent the card second leg so as to prevent the card first leg frompivoting further apart from the card second leg.

[0007] A sign or ornament may be mounted on any card holder of thepresent invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

[0008] The drawings describing the present invention are as follows:

[0009]FIG. 1 is perspective view of card shown in dashed lines supportedby an exemplary embodiment card holder of the present invention.

[0010]FIGS. 2A and 2B are respective front views other exemplaryembodiment card holders of the present invention.

[0011]FIG. 3 is perspective view of a card shown in dashed linessupported by the card holder shown in FIG. 1 where the card holder alsosupports an ornament or sign.

[0012]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a card supported by anotherexemplary embodiment card holder of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 5 is an end view of the card holder with card shown in FIG.4.

[0014]FIG. 6 is an end view of an exemplary embodiment card holdersupporting a card and having an ornament or sign mounted thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention is generally related to a card holder forholding an article that is to be displayed on a surface 1, such as atable top. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 thecard holder 11 supports a card 20 such as a greeting card about thegreeting card legs 22 and 24 in an upright or generally V-shaped openstanding position.

[0016] The card holder is a unitary member comprising two substantiallychannel shaped holding portions 10 interconnected by a transverseportion 12 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B and 6. The holding portions arefolded onto themselves in such a way that each holding portion has afirst leg 14 opposite a second leg 16 forming a channel 18 therebetween.The term “card” as used herein refers to any leaf of paper or relativelyflat thin material as for example, a greeting card or a business card.

[0017] The card 20 is generally positioned within the card holder witheach leg 22 and 24 of the card fitted within a respective channel 18 ofthe holding portions of the card holder such that the card holderretains the card in an open standing position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.Preferably, the legs 14 and 16 defining each channel 18 should bepositioned very close together, or in an abutting relationship to eachother, so that they provide a pinching or clipping force on each leg ofthe card. Once the card legs are mounted in the holder, the the holderprevents the card from opening or falling flat on the surface on whichis stands.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, when the legs of the card are mountedor fitted in the holding portions of the card holder, the holdingportions clip on the card legs. The card holder may have its holdingportions clipped on the base as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 or the side edgesof the card legs for retaining the card in an open standing position.

[0019] The card holder may be made from various materials such asplastic, metal or wire as for example, stainless steel wire, or nickelplated steel wire. For example, the card holder may be made of the samewire that is used to form a paper clip, such as nickel plated steelwire, as for example shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 6. A typical wire usedmay for example be 0.032 to 0.0625 inch in diameter. Further, the cardholder may be colored for aesthetics or covered by a material as forexample a plastic material that may be colored.

[0020] For example, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and2B, the card holder is made by forming, or bending, a single piece ofwire, such as a wire used to form a paper clip. Opposite end portions ofthe wire are bent to an angle and radius, for example, to an angle ofapproximately 110° and a radius of approximately 0.25 inches, to formthe pair of holder portions 10 downwardly extending from the transverseportion 12. The holder portions are folded onto themselves to aspecified radius, for example, to a radius of approximately 0.156inches, to form the pair of integral legs 14 and 16 defining a channel18 therebetween. The free ends of legs 14 and/or 16 may be arcuate suchthat a portion of the legs 14 and 16 are positioned in close proximity,or abutting each other, to provide a pinching or clipping force forretaining the legs of the card. In the exemplary embodiment, the twolegs of each holder portion define a clip therebetween for clipping on acard. In an exemplary embodiment, once the legs 22, 24 of a card arefitted in the holder portions of the exemplary embodiment card holdersshown in FIGS. 2A and 28, the card holder retains the position of thecard while the card supports the card holder in an upright position,i.e., with the legs of each holder sandwiching a card leg.

[0021] In an alternate exemplary embodiment, one of the legs 14 mayaccommodate an ornament or a sign 26 as for example shown in FIG. 3 thatmay display a message or a symbol. In the exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 3, a leg 14 of the card holder penetrates the ornament or sign forholding the ornament or sign in place. In another exemplary embodiment,shown in FIG. 6, an ornament or sign 27 has a ring 29 that is penetratedby one the legs 14 of the card holder.

[0022] In a further exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, thecard holder may comprise a pair of legs 30 and 32 in a substantiallyV-shaped arrangement. In accordance with this embodiment, the card isfitted between the legs 30 and 32 of the card holder such that each legof the card is adjacent to each leg of the card holder. In this regard,the card is held in an open standing position. In other words, aV-shaped portion of the card formed by the two legs of the card isfitted within the V-shaped card holder. In this regard, the card holderlimits the amount one leg of the card can open relative to the other legso as to hold the card in an open standing position. A hook 34 may beformed at the end of at least one the legs to hold an ornament or asign.

[0023] In other exemplary embodiments, the end portions of the holdingportions, as for example, the legs 14 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) or the endportion of a card holder of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 may be shapedto a desired design or ornamental shape.

[0024] As can be seen, the card holders of the present invention arevery simple to make and inexpensive to mass produce.

[0025] While the present invention is described as a holder for cards,persons skilled in the art would recognize that the holder may be usedto support various lightweight articles equivalent to a card in size andconstruction. Furthermore, although the present invention has beendescribed and illustrated to respect the exemplary embodiments thereof,it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited, since changesand modifications may be made therein which are within the full intendedscope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A card holder comprising a wire body defining two holder portions,each holder portion formed by bending a portion of the card holder wireonto itself defining a channel for receiving a portion of a card.
 2. Acard holder as recited in claim 1 wherein each holder portion is formedby bending an end portion of the card holder wire.
 3. A card holder asrecited in claim 1 wherein each holder portion comprises a first legopposite a second leg formed by bending the portion of the card holderwire onto itself, wherein the first leg of each holder portion is spacedapart from the second leg of each portion.
 4. A card holder as recitedin claim 1 wherein each holder portion comprises a first leg opposite asecond leg formed by bending the portion of the card holder wire ontoitself, wherein the first leg of each holder portion is spaced apartfrom the second leg of each portion and wherein a portion of the firstleg abuts a portion of the second leg.
 5. A card holder as recited inclaim 1 further comprising an ornament or sign mounted on one of saidholders.
 6. A card holder and card combination comprising: a card; and acard holder comprising a first and a second holder portion, wherein afirst portion of the card is received in the first holder portion and asecond portion of the card is received in the second holder portion. 7.A combination as recited in claim 6 wherein the first holder clips onthe first portion of the card.
 8. A combination as recited in claim 7wherein the second holder clips on the second portion of the card.
 9. Acombination as recited in claim 6 wherein the card second portion isangled relative to the card first portion, wherein the second cardportion can pivot relative to the first card portion and wherein thecard holder prevents the second portion from pivoting relative to thefirst card portion.
 10. A combination as recited in claim 6 wherein thecard holder is unitarily formed.
 11. A combination as recited in claim10 wherein the card holder is unitarily formed from a single piece ofmaterial.
 12. A combination as recited in claim 11 wherein the cardholder is unitarily formed from a single piece of wire.
 13. Acombination as recited in claim 6 wherein the card supports the cardholder in an upright position.
 14. A combination as recited in claim 6further comprising an ornament or sign mounted on at least one of saidholders.
 15. A card holder comprising: a first member; a second memberextending from the second member, wherein a space is defined between thetwo members for receiving a V-shaped card.
 16. A card holder as recitedin claim 15 further comprising an ornament or a sign mounted on at leastone of said first and second members.
 17. A card holder as recited inclaim 15 wherein the card holder is formed from wire bent to define thesecond leg extending from the first leg.
 18. A card holder and cardcombination comprising: a card holder having a first leg extending froma second leg; a card having a first leg extending from a second leg,wherein the card holder is placed over the card with the card holderfirst leg adjacent the card first leg and the card holder second legadjacent the card second leg.
 19. A combination as recited in claim 18wherein the card holder is unitarily made from a single piece ofmaterial.
 20. A combination as recited in claim 18 wherein the cardholder is unitarily formed from a single piece of wire.